There's a real need in the community for that connection
between being able to apply for a job and wanting to work,
but not really having the skills to be able to get to that
next level and just to the application process.
There's so many jobs available.
And so the Learn Local course is providing a connection
between the community and us.
My name is Caroline Trevorrow, and I'm
the manager of the Heyfield Community Resource Center.
So we do adult education.
So Learn Local.
We started partnering with industry, which has been
a fantastic result.
We've got a Kickstart Your Career in Health running now.
Central Gippsland Health decided that they'd love to partner with a Gippsland
based Learn Local and we put our hand up to run it and it's grown from there.
We have a number of staff who've gone through the Kickstart
Your Career in Health, which is the Learn Local program.
They've been unemployed or underemployed or just not particularly
happy in their industry and wanting to move into something else.
And so it's really helped them get that confidence to apply.
So we might have some job adverts, but there's a real gap
between the people who want to apply or want to work at a hospital
but don't really know how or don't really have the skills to be able to do that.
So Learn Local helps to build up some of the basic skills that they need
in order to apply for some of the entry level jobs that we have here.
I saw the Learn Local ad in the paper
and I decided to apply for it.
I was already doing courses with Cert III in Human Health Development.
Cert IV in Leisure and Health, the Learn Local seemed to be a stepping stone
to help me to gain more insight and skills
into those areas I was trying to get into.
I usually clean, I also help make sure
everything's up to standard with the safety of the residents.
He's absolutely amazing.
He's got such a great personality and absolutely fantastic work ethic.
But what he brings is a sense of empathy to the residents
at the aged care facility.
The learners, they get an insight into the application process.
They get to meet department managers, they get to meet the HR team.
They get to know the recruitment process for that particular business.
So it's almost like they're getting these secret tips that nobody else knows about
that will make their resume stand out or make something that they say in
an interview stand out and to watch them go through that process over 6 to 8 weeks
and grow and grow in confidence and start to get an understanding
of how they can bring skills to the workplace.
It's a transformation.
What we do is we provide the industry day
so the Learn Local course will be a four day program
and for four days there's different courses each day
and we will provide learnings associated with working for the hospital.
It's a really good opportunity for them to also get an idea of the culture
and actually put into practice
some of the things that they've been practicing in the learning course.
It's important for a Learn Local program to exist
because not everybody is ready to jump into a TAFE course or to go to work.
And our program gives them that confidence to say,
Yeah, I'm a good problem solver or I'm really good at time management.
And I can tell people that when I go to a job interview, it's
so nice to see the learners that have gone through the program in the workplace.
I'm proud of them when they turn up on that first day.
It's a big step for a lot of people.
I'm enjoying my life.
I don't feel like I'm stuck or locked in where I am.
Being independent is good, because before in a casual job there's no routine.
When I'm being a part time worker,
you are given the routine of actually getting up and go to work.
And also I actually feel confident in talking to people.
They just gave me a go and I got it.
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